The difference between close friendship and romantic interest?

Since I've got a friend who is, um... making me think about some things, I'm wondering what the difference is between having a great friendship and having an emotional/romantic attraction to someone. Now I'm edging towards thinking I'm experiencing the latter with this person, but I'd like to hear some other experiences too. It can only help, right?

Well, we get on very well as friends. We talk about a broad range of things, anything from politics/current events to dumb surreal crap. I feel very comfortable around him, like I can just allow myself to be me around him, ya know? In some ways, to me he's the best friend I've had since primary school (so, a long time). We're quite different people, but very much compatible and good friends.

Buuuut... now I seem to think about him lots. I want to be around him lots. I'm not devastated when he's not around, but I have caught myself thinking "wouldn't this be so much better if [friend] was here?" fairly often. Not only that, but I find him easy on the eye too, and I really prefer to hang out when it's just me and him. I... think sometimes I'll even spin scenarios out in my head- stuff like us going on a long walk together, or holding hands, or me snuggling up to him when watching a movie. Like, it's not your stereotypical butterflies-in-stomach-barely-able-to-breathe-around-them-crush, and face-to-face I suppose I don't usually feel a huge amount towards him... it's just that I've fallen into this, err, habit of thinking about him often relative to anyone else I know.

I think part of me knows that at least some of this is beyond the remit of ordinary friendship, but every fibre of my rationality is suspending judgement on that conclusion. Now I'm aware it's a bit of a stupid/self-evident/odd question, but still. Where would you guys draw the line between an amazing friend and a crush, and do you think I'm just so unused to having such a friendship I've overreacted on it?

 

Thanks for responding guys. I do think you're right, that this is probably essentially a crush (the fact that I'm even wondering whether or not it's a crush probably points to the fact that it is, right?). About picturing dating them... well... I think there are some signs? Like I'll be walking along or whatever and then think to myself "hey, wish he was here. Then I could really, properly talk to him. Maybe we could hold hands or something as well". Also, it's not strictly about whether or not I'd date them, but I like the idea of being attracted to them. I like the idea of someone, you know, animating me like that, which is why I kinda like the cuteness of what I'll cook up in my head.

It's just like, by now I feel like it should be obvious to me that I would like to date them. I mean I'm at least thinking about what it'd be like to date them and they're basically the only people I've given more than a cursory thought to on the subject of dating. But there's always this part of me that's telling me to take a step back, to look at the big picture for a little longer, to not jump rashly to conclusions that might well be false. I feel like I'm probably on the verge of something but I'm unable to make a leap of faith, because what if I'm wrong?